Lisa J - Playing in Ros' Maps Journal

I have to say, I struggled with this journal for a while, wondering what I should do in it.  

Ros talks about everyone's Map of Self.  This made me ponder about things like one's personality, behaviours, values and beliefs.  Are we a product solely of our parents, or does where we grow up have a bearing on how we turn out?  

We moved around quite a bit when I was young, with dad's work.  I'd been to 3 other primary schools by the time we moved to Port Pirie in South Australia.  It's always a struggle starting at a new school, and this was particularly so in Pirie - especially for a newbie that was from interstate, with an American accent (yes, spent a few years in the States...)

I grew to love the town, but couldn't wait to leave it when I was older... The song "Flame Trees" by Cold Chisel seemed to epitomise Pirie!  I'm not a country girl at heart...!

I moved to Melbourne when I was 22, and met my husband to be Scott soon after.  I can't imagine ever leaving Doncaster East, but it made me wonder, would I be a different person if I'd grown up in Melbourne instead?

I drew a map of Pirie, and added in the bits that I remember from my teenage years, that made it special to me.

I'm still not sure if I found out anything about myself by doing this project, but it was a lot of fun remembering old times!

Hope you like this Ros!

Cheers, Lisa x

Page in Ros's "Maps" Journal

Ros's journal, is a collection of loose pages, that she will actually keep in a decorated box when it is complete.  She provided lots of different things to use if you like either as the base or to embellish your page. The theme was not so much physical maps, but how a person mind maps different events, places or procedures in their mind.

I was really stumped by this theme and was not sure what I was going to do.  Then I thought about how really this described my life and me perfectly. I compartmentalise my life always in my mind.  Also I have never been known to use a diary.  I am one of those people who gets one every year and at the end of the year it is still empty.  I keep all my schedules and appointments in my head. Even at work I am hopeless at putting stuff in the calendar, I just schedule it in my mind map and I very seldom forget or double book.  The rest of staff are always amazed at how I do that, and say I am more reliable that all their diaries or calendar when it comes to knowing not only what my day holds, but all of the other staff's schedules also.  So my "Map" is all about my mind scheduling,  it is not very graphically artistic, but more visual journalling.

I used a map of the area I live in, "Mornington Peninsula" as my page.  On the map side, I drew an outline of a head I had cut from a magazine.  I used the area of the map which contained or was near some of the places, to which I am connected in some way, ie where I live, where I have worked etc.  Then I used stickers to highlight these places.  On the other side of the map where all the locations and advertisements are listed, I blocked out approximately the same area with black chalk paint so that it represented a blackboard.  Then I stuck the cutout from the magazine which I had covered with thick layers of gesso on to the blackboard area.  Then I divided the head into 4 to represent the four main areas of my mind mapping, ie work and business, home and family, friends and activities and artistic pursuits.  I then drew lines to allow for mapping items within each of those sections.  I painted each of these in different coloured water colour paint. When dry I wrote on it to represent a typical day or type of mind mapping that would go on in that compartment of my life.   On the right side of the page and in the body of the cutout, I journalled somethings about my mind mapping and my reasoning behind the page. On the left side of the page I added some famous quotes about the mind.  I added a bit of washi tape and some stamping to complete the page. It has now been sent on its journey to Lisa.  Hope it meets the criteria.

Rose worked in Ros' "Maps" journal

Hi Ros and everyone. I'm so sorry about the delay in my completing my "Map" for Ros' wonderful journal. I have had some health issues to contend with, but all is well now, thankfully.
I was intrigued to see the format of this journal: lots of lovely materials, pages and ideas contained within a small folder/pouch. What a wonderful idea!
My first thought was of how I enjoy bird watching and camping beneath the stars at night, so that is what my 'page' is about. I hope you like it.

Ros,s Maps Journal Catch Up

 I know, I know.  I have been slack on the blog front but lots of things have happened to my journal package.  When I decided to go loose leaf I gathered some great mixed media papers together and felt quite pleased with myself.  But not pleased enough. There was a strong urge to do my own page on something I walk past regularly on my trips to the nearest shopping centre.  To be honest I have picked these maps up and brought them home before because the paper is yummy.  I can relate to the maps and I felt one should be in the box. So, my partly prepared map I was working on is now a gelli print in the pile of gelli prints I have to chop up and I worked on "The Map".

This was taken in the early stages.  I used two maps, one to plan my page and the other to make the final masterpiece.  Is it a masterpiece? No, it is not but it is interesting.  I hope. This led me to rethink what I had put in the box for others to use.  When you receive my journal package you may well be surprised.

I am a great believer in art journalling with what you have at hand.

The advantage of 'The Map' was it folded out to a large spread on which I placed the Island called Roslyn. I could have got all personal and delved into the deepest chasms of my life but I didn't and you don't need to either.  If you don't want to map yourself you can use your own wonderful imagination and conjure up some fictitious being with interesting characteristics.

I packed my box of goodies and then decided the box was too deep so traipsed around the Back to School sales looking for an A5 document wallet. Officeworks were giving out balloons and the aisles were full of Mums with booklists in hand, and kids waving balloons.  Several balloon bumps to the head and a long wait in a queue and I was out of there. Everything fits in nicely. I am now happy with myself.

Round Three - Ros is Making a Start!

This is my first journal swap!  I am excited!  I have chosen the theme “Maps” as it was my intention to fill a journal with map goodness this year.  When the event popped up I thought it a perfect opportunity to meet my intention in a collaborative manner. 

I am inspired by Jill Berry’s book Personal Geographies. Berry uses and encourages others to create maps as a tool to self-discovery.  We use maps as a means of finding our way to a location or finding our way around a location or gathering knowledge from a map. Most people know their way around their local shopping centre and wouldn’t need to have a physical map.  For me, the mental map comes into play as I enter the centre and track my way to the coffee shop, the Ladies (loo), the supermarket and back to the car. If someone asks me where something is in the centre my mental map comes into play and I can send them in the right direction.

It is the same for most things in our lives.  I know where everything is in my house (most times!) as it is embedded in a mental map.  I don’t know where everything is in my son’s room apart from the things in the most logical places.  I would need either a map to navigate his disaster zone or ask him and he could refer to his mental map to send me in the right direction.

So consider your personal map of Self. If you were to map your whole life it wouldn’t squish onto one page of a journal but aspects of your self could fill a page.  If you are grumpy when you get up of a morning you could map ‘your grump’, map ‘your hopes’, map your ‘good mood’, your overflowing washing basket, your pantry, your art supplies.  The list of things you could map about your ‘Self'' is endless.

I had intended to use an A5 Canson illustration journal for the project but was worried the papers would not stand up to media other participants may wish to use. The suggestion of using loose leaf was made in conversation in the Facebook group and I immediately knew by going this route my problem was solved.

A hunt though my hoard uncovered some perfect loose leaf surfaces to work on and they will travel around in a small box and when they return from their journey they will be kept in another box from my hoard. Included in the box will be an assortment of hints and tips to help or inspire you to complete your contribution. 

You do not have to divulge very personal information about yourself. You can expose a facet of your ‘Self’ you don’t mind sharing. You can use whatever you have to map yourself, collage, paint, draw, write, photographs.